| Lasers remind us of Star Wars and parties. Lasers | | | | use a keychain laser or a simple red-laser pointing |
| are associated with fun and although many other | | | | device for the same. Green lasers from astronomy |
| educational programs such as the Apologia science | | | | stores are dangerous and should not be used. |
| curriculum have touched the surface, I want to delve | | | | Remember to wear eye protection even if it feels |
| deep and enable kids to safely experience lasers and | | | | weird to wear them in the dark. |
| their diffraction. | | | | Beam through Bottle Experiment: Fill a plastic soda |
| L.A.S.E.R. stands for Light Amplification by Simulated | | | | bottle with water. Add a few pinches of cornstarch till |
| Emission of Radiation. The light emitted by an | | | | the water turns slightly milky. Now switch off the lights |
| incandescent bulb spreads in all directions, and | | | | and flash your laser pointing device through the bottle. |
| therefore lights up the room, while the light coming | | | | What do you see? Do you see the original laser |
| from a laser is in the form of a thin beam made up of | | | | beam? Can you find the reflected and the |
| photons travelling in a straight line. Therefore a laser | | | | pass-through beam? |
| beam makes just a dot of light on your wall. I have | | | | Laser-Fog Machine Experiment: You can do a slight |
| gone through many homeschool curriculums such as | | | | variation to the above experiment by using a fog |
| the Apologia science curriculum, and I felt that I must | | | | machine instead of cornstarch water. Turn on the fog |
| take learning one step ahead by introducing some | | | | machine and flash a couple of laser pointing devices |
| practical and fun ways of learning science. | | | | through the fog. Enjoy the spectacular laser show! |
| How Lasers Work | | | | CD Laser Diffraction Experiment: Place an old |
| When a light source throws light into the tube of your | | | | scratched CD and a new smooth CD on a table. Turn |
| laser pointer, the particles of gas in the tube begin to | | | | on the fog machine around the CDs, and flash the |
| vibrate harder (imagine your excited pet dog running all | | | | laser pointer on both the CDs. What do you see? |
| over your living room). When these excited particles | | | | Which CD sends out more reflections, the scratched |
| relax (imagine your dog lying lazily on the couch), they | | | | one of the smooth one? See to it that there is enough |
| release light energy in the form of photons. These | | | | fog so that the laser beams are seen clearly. You can |
| released photons now collide with other gas particles in | | | | also place other shiny objects near the CDs and enjoy |
| the tube and make them vibrate or relax. After some | | | | the laser patterns! |
| time many photons of light are released. They bounce | | | | Homeschool science can be really cool, and I want to |
| off mirrors in the tube and are released through the | | | | take you beyond your Apologia science curriculum |
| opening of the tube (imagine a doggie door) in a | | | | experience. Click the link below to check out the free |
| controlled manner, forming a thin and straight beam. | | | | "Homeschool Parent's Guide to Teaching Science", for |
| Now let's do a couple of fun experiments. You can | | | | more great science experiments and activities. |